I Tried It: A Pots and Pans Organizer Is the Kitchen Storage Hack You Need

I Tried ItA Pots and Pans Organizer Is the Kitchen Storage Hack You NeedEvery apartment needs at least one of these genius storage racks

By Alex Ronan

April 21, 2022

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After loading plates, pots, pans, and various cooking implements in my rental apartment for the first time, everything just barely fit. It’s a small kitchen, so it felt like a miracle. The only problem, which became clear after an initial round of grocery shopping, was that I didn’t have enough cabinet space for food storage. It’s impressive how much real estate even a few bags of chips take up. Unwilling to give up sea salt and vinegar, I took to the internet for clever kitchen storage solutions.

Our pots and pans were taking up tons of room, but on a low shelf they were hard to reach, and I worried that stacking saucepans was going to cause scratches. (The leaning tower of lids wasn’t ideal either.) Seeking some sort of cookware or kitchen cabinet organizer, I checked Yamazaki, which is known for their simple and well-designed small space solutions.

The nice thing about most pots and pans organizers is that they can work inside a deep drawer or cabinet, on a countertop, or above the fridge in my case. This Yamazaki one took all of a minute to set up, and it’s expandable and adjustable. Available in black and white, I liked the simplicity of the design, particularly because I knew it wouldn’t be tucked away in a cabinet. The pot handle rest is a great feature that I don’t see on a lot of alternatives. With a narrow frame, I worried it wouldn’t be strong enough, but it has held up just fine, corralling my biggest saucepan and spaghetti pot with ease. Having two is ideal, with one for pots and pans, the other for lids and light cutting boards.

Courtesy of Yamazaki Home

Yamazaki Home Adjustable Lid & Pan Organizer$47 at Amazon$46 at Food52$47 at Yamazaki

It’s really nice not worrying about scratches. I love being able to easily grab the relevant cookware without having to do some sort of pot and pan Jenga. Anything that makes cooking even a little bit easier is a worthy investment IMO, especially because more cooking means less take out. So maybe these storage solutions should be considered cost saving devices? Read on for why I think a DIY pots and pans organizer will serve your rental well.

Best storage for heavy duty cookware: Cusinel Heavy Duty Pot and Pan Organizer

With a 100-pound capacity, this organizer rack is more than just a pot lid organizer. It’s great for dutch ovens, cast-iron pans, and heavy skillets. There’s also flexibility with this product: The mounting hardware is optional and the storage system can work either vertically or horizontally, depending on what would function best in your space.

Cusinel Heavy Duty Pot and Pan Organizer$24 at Amazon$33 at CusinelBest storage for saving money: Joseph Joseph DrawerStore Expanding Cookware Organizer

A budget option great for a deep drawer or kitchen cabinet, this cookware organizer has a wire frame with adjustable dividers and divots meant for lid handles. Like the Yamazaki one, it’s expandable for extra pan and lid storage. A pots and pans organizer like this is also great for small baking tins or baking sheets.

Joseph Joseph 85167 DrawerStore Expanding Cookware Organizer, Gray$20 at Amazon$20Best storage for a full upgrade: Carway Cookware Set

Save space and start fresh with Caraway’s pots and pans—a favorite cookware set amongst the Clever staff. The sustainably made set includes all of the brand’s best sellers: Fry pan, saucepan, sauté pan, dutch oven, and some of the best cookware storage I’ve seen. The canvas pan lid holder maximizes unused storage space inside a cabinet door. The magnetic pan racks keep each piece separate and prevent the scratching or damage that comes when pots and pans are stacked. The Bakeware Set has similarly well thought out storage. They’re specifically designed for the relevant cookware or bakeware, which means they’re not sold as individual storage items but come as part of the larger set.

Cookware Set$395 at CarawayExploreCleverShoppinghome organizationorganizingShop Smarter